Samsung Warns RAM Shortage and Rising Component Costs Will Stretch Through 2027
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Samsung has announced that the ongoing RAM shortage and rising component costs will continue through 2027, with no relief for consumer hardware prices expected until at least 2028 due to extreme demand from AI companies.
If you have been eyeing a hardware upgrade for your rig or keeping an eye on the rising cost of tech, the news out of Samsung's latest earnings call is not what you wanted to hear. As reported by TechCrunch and detailed by Mark Warren at Rock Paper Shotgun, the tech giant expects the ongoing memory crisis to persist through 2027. Relief for consumers is unlikely to arrive until 2028 at the earliest, meaning high hardware prices are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The root of the issue comes down to massive demand from AI laboratories, which are directly sharing long-term demand forecasts with manufacturers like Samsung to lock down future supply. Because these AI firms are willing to sign lucrative, long-term contracts and horde massive quantities of RAM, manufacturers face zero financial pressure to pivot back toward prioritizing consumer-grade components for PCs and other devices. While Samsung acknowledges that higher component costs will continue to drive up prices for everyday electronics, the record profits from the AI sector make consumer demands a low priority.
This squeeze on supply has broader industry implications, landing manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron in the middle of an ongoing US lawsuit that accuses the firms of price fixing. While corporate earnings calls are always designed to sound as profitable as possible to shareholders, the reality on the ground for players and builders is clear. Until the enterprise AI gold rush slows down or manufacturing capacity catches up, building a high-end PC or upgrading memory specs is going to remain an expensive endeavor.
Tags: Hardware, PC Gaming, RAM Shortage, Industry News, Samsung
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun